This reach, in the former Town of North Toronto, is
now mostly residential with some commercial development along Eglinton and
Yonge. The north portion is in Eglinton Park. Most stormwater flows to Yellow
Creek and sanitary sewage flows, via the Avenue Manor Combined Trunk Sewer, to
the North Toronto Sewage Treatment Plant in the Don Valley. St Clements
Stream, which is described under the Lytton Park Reach, entered Mud Creek in
Eglinton Park,

Click here to see sewers. Double click to remove.

Beginning at Rosewell and Roselawn Avenues, walk south through Eglinton Park.
This is the site of Pears Brickyard, established in 1885 to manufacture
bricks. The City of Toronto purchased it for parkland in 1926. The Yorkville
Brick Yards page gives further information
on other brickyards operated by the Pears family. The park’s shape and
location in a valley are characteristic of Toronto parks located in former
brick yards or sand pits. Early photographs show Mud Creek in the background
of the Pears Brickyard, but it is unclear today exactly what route the creek
followed and if any of the original bank remains. The ditch and sewer grate
along the fence on the east side of the park are all that remain of the creek.

Farmland surrounded this area from the 1830s to the early 20th century, when
North Toronto was subdivided for urban development. James Lesslie, then his
son-in-law John Gartshore, owned the land north of Eglinton and west of the
park. The Lesslie farm was called “The Willows”. Springs
in the hill fed willows that grew almost to the top of the hill.

Other notable stopping points in this park include Eglinton Park
Hill (from the west side of the park to the
other side of Avenue Rd.), the The Naturalized
hillside, the North Toronto Community
Memorial Centre and The Eglinton Park Heritage Community
Garden. Many plants grown by first nations people
and early settlement farmers are grown in this garden. To bypass these and
simply follow Mud Creek, take the path on the east side of the park south to
Eglinton. Honey locusts, Norway and sugar maples, ash and lindens border this
path. About halfway along, notice a small grove of sugar maple. If one is
walking with a canine companion, a small detour to the dog drinking
fountain established in honour of Judge Joe Addison
and his dog Max is a highlight. Past the arena, you will see that the low area
marking the course of the former stream is now to the east of the path and
that by the time we reach Eglinton, it is about a block away.

According to verbal reports from residents and staff, drainage problems recur
at both the Community Centre and the apartment building on Edith Ave. just
east of the park. This is a symptom of a river trying to remake itself.
Natural processes continue to supply water, but the creek is no longer exists
to remove seepage from those valley walls and springs.

Walk to the southeast corner of the park, cross Eglinton with the light at
Lacelles Blvd. and walk east to Duplex Avenue. The low point on Eglinton is
about where the creek crossed. Notice the sewer outlets on the street at this
point and the willow on the grounds of the apartment building at Edith Ave. As
you get to Maxwell Street, you will be able to follow the topography of the
creek by looking for the low land which runs past the south east corner of the
apartment building on the east side of the street. Continue east on Eglinton
and turn south on Duplex. The curve in Duplex and the cul-de-sac on Duplex
Crescent are typical of the kinds of street patterns created by former
streams. Mud Creek probably ran behind Duplex Cr. and crossed Duplex Avenue
near a low point in the road at the curve. As you continue south on Duplex,
notice the terraced front yards where the ground rises on the east side of the
street. The line of low points defining the creek bed runs southeast on a
diagonal across Duplex above Berwick Avenue.

Willow Creek

Willow Creek, a tributary which appears on a1927 military survey map,
arose northwest of Avenue Rd. and Eglinton near Castle Knock and Burnaby Blvd.
The creek crossed Eglinton at Braemar Avenue, then Avenue Road, Highbourne Road
and Oriole Parkway, abit south of Eglinton. Willow Creek then flowed easterly
north of Anderson Avenue to Mud Creek near Berwick and Duplex. A few traces of
this stream may exist behind houses on Anderson Avenue.

Continue down Duplex to Hillsdale. Looking east on Berwick, note the low spot
and the willow behind #45. Walk east on Hillsdale. Notice the style change at
houses #53 and 57 showing two distinct periods of North Toronto house
construction. One can also see the large willow behind the house # 40
mentioned above. Cross the bridge over the subway. Mud Creek crossed Yonge
Street at Hillsdale. Look for Lost Rivers plaque in sidewalk, marking the
crossing. This stretch of Yonge St. was difficult, swampy and made barely
passable by a stretch of corduroy road. Turn south and
walk to Manor Road, crossing to the east side of Yonge at the lights to
continue on along the Davisville Reach.